The Afterparty
by PeanutButterCupCake
Summary: William promised a party after the big case in London and everyone seems to be having a good time.  Except for a certain usually-cheerful redhead.  Takes place after season 1 of the anime. Rated T for lots of alcohol and some drunken shenanigans.


Author's notes: This is the first fanfic I've written in about forever. It was inspired by a discussion in the Shinigami FC on and the end of season 1 of Kuro when William mentions throwing a party and writing it off as a business expense.

Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine, I just think they're fun to play with.

The Afterparty

William took a sip from his glass of brandy, savoring the smooth flavor. It was high quality and well-aged, as it should be. It left a warming sensation in his throat rather than a burn, and went down without trouble. Undertaker had brought it for such an occasion, in this case the end of an difficult mission in London. Much of the city had been burned. Many humans perished in the disaster and the London Dispatch had worked over time to take care of all the souls that needed tending to. Taking a deep breath William reminded himself to relax. After all, he had promised this party as a business expense for everyone's efforts. What was the point of having a party if one can't relax and enjoy themselves?

Surveying the room full of noisy colleagues he could see the relief in their faces after so many long hours of work. Everyone from field workers to the office staff who had to file and archive all the cinematic records that were brought back. For at least a few hours, everyone could let loose. A few staff members were on call in case, but William assigned that to the dispatchers he knew were less likely to get hammered. Even then that meant two...maybe three dispatchers he could count on. Not many, but it had to do.

Despite how much alcohol was present, things were still in order. Nothing in the offices was broken just yet, nobody had thrown up in the broom closet, although a couple had wandered in there for some "private time". Across tables and desks were bottles of wine, Champagne, liquors, spirits, some juices and other liquids that could be mixed with alcohol. Plates of food were scattered about, including a large tray of bone shaped biscuits that Undertaker had brought as well. It was only fair to invite him, after dragging him out of retirement for this last mission. Not that it took much convincing, he said he would gladly go for the free entertainment.

Looking around again, William observed his immediate colleagues from dispatch. Ronald was flirting with every girl from the office, showering each with compliments in hopes of finding a date. Undertaker was sitting in the corner, watching the party with an amused grin on his face. Occasionally he would giggle at the drunken stupidity of some of the staff. It was difficult to tell whether or not Undertaker was drunk, as his usual behavior was pretty unusual to begin with. William would find out later if anyone passed out and woke up with marker on their face. Undertaker was prone to mischief and may deviate from his usual "scare the pants off everyone" tricks.

On the other side of the room Eric let out a loud guffaw at some joke. Good, he was in a cheerful mood. Things could get dangerous if the temperamental shinigami was feeling cranky, he was still rough around the edges, but well-meaning. Beside him Alan sat quietly nursing a glass of cranberry juice, one of the few sober ones in the room.

That left Grell...wait where was he? Usually Grell was hanging off somebody, squealing in William's ear about something, or just being a ball of energy. Earlier in the evening, after a couple drinks, he was flirting shamelessly with Undertaker. The latter whom appeared very amused at the rambunctious redhead's efforts. He seemed like one of the few people who was not annoyed by Grell's behavior. William wondered if anything bothered Undertaker, he always seemed perpetually cheerful.

Scanning the crowded room he first couldn't find any sign of Grell. Then he caught a glimpse of red in the far corner of the room, a quiet corner. This was unusual, he was just sitting there gazing wistfully into his ruby colored cocktail. The crimson shinigami's shoulders lifted and fell in a soft motion as he apparently sighed. Definitely not like Grell.

Despite how tight he tried to manage the London dispatchers, William genuinely cared for all his staff. Even if he didn't openly show it. He also had a secret soft spot for the redhead, seeing they've known each other since their academy days.

Doing his best to remain polite, William made his way through the crowd to get to that corner. Grell didn't seem to even notice his presence, his mind off in its own little world. Crouching down in front of his colleague, he tried to get Grell's attention with a gentle nudge on the shoulder.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked.

Grell looked up, a little startled, "Oh hey Will, fun party huh?", no excitement, no squealing, nothing typical of Grell. This was getting a little scary.

"I'm not so sure you're finding it fun right now, what's with you Sutcliff?", William tried to keep his stern facade.

"Just some stuff," Grell shrugged, "Got some things on my mind."

"I thought you would be happy about this party. I finally gave you back your deathscythe you love so much, and it appears all your crushes except for that damned demon are here."

Grell just replied with a nod and a halfhearted smile, "That's true Will."

Feeling weirded out by Grell being so quiet, William took a risk, "Let's go out onto the balcony . We can talk out there. I'm probably going to have to deal with several hungover dispatchers in the morning. I don't need you moping about too."

Grell stood up from his chair, swaying as he came to a full stand. It was now obvious he was intoxicated. William was feeling a little fuzzy himself, but not enough to be wobbly. Instead his own body felt warm and relaxed despite his concern. It was more of a warm glow surrounding his being. He stood up and took Grell by the arm, leading him to the balcony outside. Finding a quiet bench they both sat down again.

"Now tell me what's wrong, you're acting like someone cut your hair off and stole all your makeup."

"Where do I start?", Grell swirled the drink in his glass before downing the contents.

"What do you mean by that?" William's eyebrow twitched.

"I'm lonely."

"How can you be lonely? You're always running around the office bothering everybody. You chase after that demon butler, I made sure you kept your job despite the demotions you got for your little Jack the Ripper game. You barge into my office on a daily basis just to pester me and you're saying you're lonely?"

"I know, I know. I'm surrounded by people, but I feel lonely. I mean people like Ronnie are cool and all, but I don't have any really close friends. Some days I wonder if anyone even cares about me."

William wasn't sure what to say, in the century or so he knew Grell, he had never seen his colleague looking so dejected. Normally Grell was resilient, bouncing back as if nothing happened with each rejection and insult thrown his way. Almost like Grell's spirit was impenetrable to any emotional hurt. Either he would keep pursuing, or he would move on to the next person who struck his fancy and come back later.

With their personal barriers broken down by the alcohol, William felt compelled to at least try to make Grell feel better. The minutes stretched on in silence as William wondered what was next. Sipping his brandy as if the drink would give him an answer.

Grell began speaking again, "I don't think you were around, but when we were in London I found a baby in the street. I held it for a minute, but set it back down since it wasn't supposed to die. That baby reminded me of how much I want to have one of my own. Like I would always have someone there who actually loves me. I know I flirt a lot, and I sometimes try to seduce people, but I really just want someone who cares." he wrapped his arms around himself.

"Just how much did you drink?"

"I don't know."

They sat in silence again. Glancing through the window William checked on the party after hearing some particularly loud laughter. He wished he hadn't when he caught the sight of Ronald on a table, performing a striptease. Around him were the ladies from general affairs. Some of them were stuffing bills in Ronald's boxers. Undertaker was rolling in the floor, clutching his stomach as he gasped for air, his laughter nearly shaking the building.

William was brought out of his observations by a sudden weight on his chest. Looking down he saw that Grell was clinging to him. There was no suggestive talk, no groping, Grell just clung to him. There was a barely audible sniffle coming from under that mass of crimson hair, and William thought he felt his shirt getting damp. This was definitely strange, Grell crying wasn't unusual, as he was a bit of a diva. Being quiet and weepy though was.

"What's wrong now?"

The response was muffled. Placing his hands on Grell's shoulders, he gently pulled the sullen shinigami away from his chest. Grell looked at him like a kicked puppy.

"I can't year you when your face is pressed against my shirt."

"I don't want to be alone," Grell muttered.

There was something about that look, the tears streaming silently down Grell's cheeks. William couldn't stand it. He drew Grell closer to him, internally questioning his actions, but otherwise at a loss of what to do. Grell rested his head on William's shoulder, nuzzling into his neck.

"You're not alone, I've seen your office pranks with Knox, not to mention you pester me on an almost daily basis."

"Not like that Will!" Grell whined, "I mean alone, alone. I don't go home to anybody, nobody goes home to me. That kind of alone. I feel like I just won't ever find that one for me."

"Honestly Sutcliff, what am I going to do with you?" William freed a hand so he could take another sip of his brandy. After setting the glass down he began to stroke Grell's hair. It was incredibly soft despite being slightly tangled now.

They sat in silence, punctuated by the occasional sniffle from Grell. William briefly thought of how nice it would be to have Grell be quiet more often, only without the moping. He gave his troublesome companion a reassuring squeeze. The night air was a little chilly, but overall it didn't feel too bad to William, it was kind of refreshing actually. Sort of a comfort in his own intoxicated and currently awkward state. Sitting on a bench with the resident drama queen sprawled out next to him in genuine distress. Eventually Grell seemed to calm down, his breathing became steady and even against William's neck. Then the inevitable happened.

"Will, I don't feel good. Everything is spinning."

"Don't tell me you're getting sick."

"I feel dizzy."

"Okay then," William downed the last of his brandy, disappointed he couldn't enjoy it. "Let's go to the bathroom then. I don't need you getting sick all over the place."

Standing was a bit of a struggle as William realized how drunk he really was. His legs felt like rubber bands. That was a pretty big glass of brandy. Helping Grell stand was even more of a struggle. Slinging one of Grell's arms over his shoulder, he placed his arm around Grell's waist for support.

"Think you can manage to hold it in? You better or the cleaning bill will come out of your pay."

The pair stumbled back into the party which seemed to still be raging on to some extent. They did their best not to trip over anybody, as a few shinigami were apparently passed out on the floor. Ronald was sleeping in a corner, still in just his boxers and socks with a lamp shade over his head. Someone had drawn a goofy face on the lamp shade. William would find the culprit later and make them replace it. After successfully making their way across the room they entered the hallway and made their way to the nearest bathroom.

Willaim practically dragged Grell into the bathroom, as Grell currently had a hand over his eyes and kept complaining that he was dizzy. Kicking a stall open he positioned his plastered companion in front of the commode.

"We're here, just don't get anything on the floor."

"Aren't you going to hold my hair back? That's the proper thing to do for a lady when she's ill."

"Whatever you say," William took hold of Grell's hair, pulling it away from his shoulders and face.

A few minutes later Grell felt better enough to attempt to stand.

"Better now? I can tell how much you had tonight, unfortunately."

Grell nodded and reached down to flush, "I don't feel like being at this party anymore."

"I'll take you home then. First you're going to have a glass of water. You're dehydrated."

"Do I have to?"

"If you want to get home without passing out it's advised," he grabbed Grell by the wrist and led him back to the lounge. It was less of a trial to leave the bathroom than it was to get there.

Seating Grell on a sofa, William looked for a clean cup which was difficult. Finding a pitcher of actual water was even more difficult. He poured a cup full of water for Grell, and one for himself, making sure it wasn't spiked with anything. Then returned to the sofa.

"Drink up. Then we'll leave."

William leaned back and sighed in exhaustion. All he wanted to do at the moment was get home and crawl in bed. He wasn't nearly as intoxicated as Grell was, but felt it best to just get some sleep. His eyelids were starting to grow heavy and the warming sensation from the brandy hadn't left him. Yet he felt like he had to stay with Grell, at least until he got Grell home and in bed. Glancing at Grell, William thought he looked like a mess. He still looked incredibly somber with red-rimmed eyes from both weeping and alcohol-induced illness. Some of his makeup had ran down his face, some of it was probably on William's shirt.

"You'll be fine," he said.

"Hm?" Grell snapped out of his own quiet musings.

"You're going to be fine." William paused, " I thought you'd want to hear that."

Grell smiled, not one of those flirty suggestive smiles, but a genuine one. It was soft and grateful, "Thanks Will, I really needed to hear that."

William felt a little relieved, maybe this would be easier than he thought. "Almost ready to go? I need to get to bed too. Death doesn't stop working."

"Always thinking about work."

"Somebody has to, or nothing gets done around here."

"That's my Will," Grell chuckled.

William's eyebrow twitched at that comment, "Come on Sutcliff."

They got up and left the room, heading towards the building's exit. It had gotten slightly colder outside as the breeze picked up. Grell shivered a little and pulled his coat up around his shoulders before latching onto William's arm for security as he still felt a little wobbly. The pair walked towards the apartment compound near the Library. It wasn't a very long walk, but it was slightly difficult with the pair still feeling the alcohol.

William already knew where Grell's apartment was, and already had a key. He made sure to get a spare cut for those days he had to drag Grell out of bed for work. Usually to the scarlet shinigami's protests of needing "beauty sleep". Reaching into his pocket with his free arm he found the key and unlocked the door. Flipping on a light he dragged Grell into the bedroom and seated him on the bed. Then he made his way to Grell's dresser and began rummaging through the drawers.

"You're not supposed to go through a lady's things!" Grell whined.

"Quiet, I'm finding finding something for you to sleep in, unless you want to sleep in your dirty work clothes," finding a basic red night which gown he tossed at Grell. "Now get changed, I trust you can do that yourself. Don't forget to brush your teeth too, you smell like sick."

Without further protest Grell wandered over to the bathroom. While he was preparing for bed William searched the kitchen for another pitcher and glass. Even if it probably wouldn't ward off a hangover completely, it would at least cushion the blow. Returning to the bedroom he set it on the night stand and filled the glass just as Grell emerged from the bathroom.

"Will, the room's spinning still."

"It's going to do that, have another glass before you go to sleep."

Grell climbed into his bed and accepted the glass of water, letting the cool liquid soothe his still dry throat. He had grown incredibly thirsty after the several cocktails he had downed earlier that night. Finishing, he set the glass on the bedside table and began fidgeting with the covers.

"Will?" he asked in a quiet voice, "before I go to sleep, could I have a hug? Please?"

William sighed and watched as Grell held his arms out. He looked like a child almost, his expression both sad and expectant. William's alcohol-hazed mind found no reason to reject this small request. Considering the evening's events it was innocent enough.

Reaching out, he took his long time co-worker into his arms, stroking the soft and now-tangled hair. "You can be such a headache at times Grell, but you're worrying me."

"Sorry Will."

"Don't be, get some sleep. I can't believe what I'm about to say, but you can take the day off tomorrow if you want."

"You, really mean that? It's not like you to be so nice about work. Will really does care!"

"I'm not going to make a habit of it, so don't get any ideas. I just don't need you whining about your hangover tomorrow."

He could feel the weight against his chest grow heavier, and no response to his last comment. It appeared that Grell was beginning to fall asleep, nestled against William. A soft smile graced his lips and his embrace began to relax. William pulled Grell away and settled him into his bed, Grell only gave small whimper at the loss of contact.

"You're leaving me?" he half-mumbled as slumber began to take over.

"I have my own home and bed to go to," William drew the covers up around Grell and tucked him in.

There were no further comments. William sat at the edge of the bed and observed the now sleeping shinigami. _He's going to think he looks like a mess tomorrow_, William thought, observing the tangled hair and now dried tear tracks and smudged eyeliner on Grell's cheeks. Reaching out, he gave one of those cheeks a soft touch before unhooking the chain from his glasses, sliding them away from their slumbering owner. Then he gently peeled off the false eyelashes and set those on the bedside table next to the glasses for lack of a better place to set them. Grell could be trouble, but he was also one of the few in the office who was unfazed by William's stern demeanor.

"Goodnight Grell," William whispered and got up to leave the apartment. He was ready to go home and sleep.


End file.
